Overview of Legislative and Governmental Affairs Law

Legislative and government law involves elections, lobbying, and representing client interests in legislation and public policy. There are regulations governing the administrative and regulatory process. Legislative and government affairs lawyers know how to navigate ethics rules, lobbying disclosure laws, and campaign finance regulations.

For legal advice about lobbying federal, state, and local government, contact a local legislative and government affairs lawyer.

What Is Legislative and Governmental Affairs Law?

Legislative and government affairs lawyers advocate for their clients’ interests in the legislative process as well as before government agencies at the federal, state, or local government levels.

Even before an election, businesses and interest groups lobby candidates about proposed legislation in their policy areas. Lawyers in this practice area coordinate strategic planning and monitoring of legislative affairs for their client’s policy goals.

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How Lobbying Influences Lawmaking

Lobbying involves advocating for certain legislative action or policy issues. Lobbying can target individual members of Congress, state legislatures, or regulatory agencies.

Campaign finance laws regulate how money is used in elections and voting. The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) monitors campaign financing, including disclosure requirements.

The Role of a Legislative and Governmental Affairs Attorney

A legislative and governmental affairs attorney can work with voters, candidates, lobbyists, and politicians to influence policies on their client’s behalf.

In the election process, an attorney can advice their client on their legal rights and options, take legal action for election law violations, and represent their clients in court. Government affairs attorneys can also give legal advice about government ethics, conflicts of interest, and lobbying restrictions.

Individuals, businesses, and other stakeholders can play a role in affecting various policy areas. Major policy areas include:

• Agriculture
• Consumer protection
• Energy
• Environmental protection
• Financial services
• Healthcare
• Labor law
• Land use and natural resources
• National security
• Telecommunications

Creating and Implementing Policy

The legislative process is how laws are created, amended, and enacted. Once laws are enacted, government agencies implement and enforce them. Depending on your policy goals and initiatives, your government relations work may focus more on legislators who create laws or agency officials who engage in rulemaking to implement and enforce laws.

At the federal level, that could mean cultivating connections with members of U.S. Congress in the Senate or House of Representatives. Beyond individual members of Congress, you may need to work with multiple members of standing committees, which develop and assess legislation in certain areas of public policy. Congressional committees include members of both primary parties, meaning you’ll need bipartisan relations.

Legislative and government affairs work could also involve advocacy before executive branch agencies that create rules and regulations to implement and enforce laws.

Find a Lawyer to Represent Your Interests

Enactment of government policies varies greatly from the national to the local government. For state and local government, find an attorney with contacts and experience in your branch of government for legal advice.

For more information about how you can influence legislation and government affairs, contact a local legislative and governmental affairs lawyer.